The weather is warmer, and the outdoor fun can begin again.
For some Ball State University students, their choice in outdoor recreation is against Ball State policy and Muncie ordinance.
Anyone caught skateboarding, whether they are doing tricks or traveling from place to place, faces a $30 citation and the confiscation of the skateboard, according to university policy.
Chris Strbjak, a junior sports administration major, said "the benefits outweigh the penalties" because Ball State is ideal for skateboarding.
"It's just an amusement park," Strbjak said. "It's got staircases and ledges and a lot of fun obstacles and smooth surfaces."
Gene Burton, director of public safety, said Ball State banned skateboarding more so because of the damage tricks can cause to railings, curbs and planters than it is a safety concern. Students who do tricks with BMX bicycles are just as much of a problem, he said.
"With any kind of transportation, whether you're talking about skateboards or bicycles or rollerblades, there's always concerns about safety," Burton said.
Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president for Ball State Facilities Planning and Management, said he didn't have an estimate for what the university spends repairing damage every year, but it would cost the university about $500,000 if it were to replace all the property that skateboards and stunt bikes have damaged.
"The damage to our facilities is just totally disrespectful," Kenyon said. "We've been splattering signs all over campus, and it's just juvenile. Any student who claims they don't know it is against the rules to damage property, they are just being a goof."
Once most students go home for the summer, Facilities staff go around campus and sand and repair the damaged areas, Kenyon said.
"It takes time and money to do that," he said. "I don't think half a million dollars would be unreasonable to say that's the total damage cost. It's pretty much permanent damage. It's gouged and all that."
Ball State doesn't replace most of the damage because it is usually cosmetic, Kenyon said.
"It's not dysfunctional [when property is damaged]," he said. "It's the same thing with a lot of the damage. We're not going to replace that; we're just going to live with it. It's frustrating."
Skateboarders tend to damage the areas near John R. Emens Auditorium, the Architecture Building and Art and Journalism Building the most, Kenyon said. Railings along stairways and concrete edges on planters receive the most damage, he said.
"Next to the Architecture Building is a granite top next to a handicap ramp," he said. "That turned out to be a perfect attraction for skateboarders because it's all chipped and damaged."
Kenyon said in order to deter students from damaging campus further, the university is using building and structure designs, such as with the David Letterman Communication and Media Building, with irregular edges that make it more difficult to do tricks on.
"We're trying to do what we can to make it less attractive to them," he said.
Burton said he did not know how many reports there have been about skateboarding on campus this spring, but he said officers are encountering it more.
In most cases, when officers see students doing tricks they will warn the students, Burton said, but possible penalties include a $30 fine and confiscation of the skateboard.
Strbjak said in the four or five years he's been skateboarding, he's had few encounters with the police.
"Pretty much they'll just tell you to stop," he said. "We've never had a real issue with it. They're actually really polite here than a lot of other places if you get in trouble. They're really understanding."
But using skateboards to get around is a different story.
Strbjak said several of his friends use long boards - skateboards specifically designed for transportation and not tricks - but they've been stopped because Muncie city ordinance prohibits skateboards on any public property.
"It's just really kind of stupid," he said.
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